10.28.2015

French Food in Rome Part Deux {Crêpes Galettes + Monti}

As of this past August, Rome is the city that I have lived in the longest since I was 17 years old. Same goes for our apartment in Monti. I have started feeling the pull for something new. I wander in new neighborhoods in Rome thinking about what it would be like to live in a different part of town. I stay up late scrolling through pictures of houses on Cape Cod, planning a new life in a new part of the world. For now this is all entertainment. We are planning on staying put both in Rome and in our cozy apartment for at least a few more years so I have to look for alternative ways to sooth my wanderlust. Food is an easy way for a change of perspective. Rome is not a big city that is filled with cuisines from other places. Trattorias serving plates of cacio e pepe and amatriciana are much easier to find (and much more affordable) that a spicy Thai curry or a fish tacos. One of the things I like most about living in Monti is the mix of old and new. There is street art painted and plastered onto medieval buildings. The tiny little house at the end of my street has been there for centuries and now is now home to a sweet cafe. There are Indian restaurants and sushi spots. The neighborhood manages to be both welcoming to change and still remain a very traditional place. A few Sundays ago, I was still tired from my Sicilian island adventures so we stuck close to home and took a walk around the neighborhood with a vague idea of getting something to eat and then remembered the newish French crepe place on via Leonina.The owner was distractedly talking in rapid French on his cell phone, but he managed to take our order of two Crepe Completes and we took two of the four seats in this sliver of a place. Traditional buckwheat batter was expertly poured and swirled, scattered with slices of ham and gruyere, topped with an egg and "Voila," lunch was served. Sadly there was no Breton cider so we made do with a chestnut beer from Corsica.Our galettes were crispy and the cheese gooey and the egg perfectly done. The beer was cold and had the right dark bitter note for the buckwheat galette. It was fast and delicious. A most welcome new addition to the neighborhood and so much easier than packing boxes.